Radiator filler passage



Aug. 30, 1938. E. H. ENGELHARDT 2,128,696

v RADIATOR FILLER PASSAGE Filed March a, 1957 WAT R 0/? com/N6 JACKET INVENTOR M I BY mymrza I ATTORNEYS Patented Aug. 30, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIQE 2 Claims.

This invention relates to radiators for motor vehicles and more particularly to a filling device for the radiator and has for the primary object the provision of means whereby the greater pro-- portion of liquid directed into the radiator will be discharged into the lower chamber of said radiator to bring about filling of the radiator from the bottom upwardly to the top thereof so that the liquid will rise in the cooling jacket of the engine to which the radiator is connected and thereby prevent trapping of air in the water jacket as now frequently occurs by the liquid flowing into the return pipe of the radiator before the latter and the cooling jacket become filled with liquid.

With these and other objects in View, this invention consists in certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

For a complete understanding of my invention, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a rear elevation, partly in section, illustrating a radiator constructed in accordance with my invention.

Figure 2 is a top plan view illustrating the same connected to a water jacket of an engine and showing a thermostat associated therewith.

Referring in detail to the drawing, the numeral l indicates a conventional type of radiator employed on motor vehicles including the upper and lower chambers 2 and 3 connected by the cooling tubes 4 and on which. are mounted the fins 5 for directing the air to the tubes. The character 6 indicates the return pipe of the radiator while the character 1 indicates the outlet pipe. The pipes 6 and l are connected through return and feed lines 6a and la. respectively to the cooling jacket l5 of the engine of the motor vehicle. In the return line 6a, between the cooling jacket of the engine and the return pipe 6, there is located a thermostat l6 for the purpose of controlling the circulation of the Water through the jacket from the radiator. Radiators and cooling systems of engines equipped with a thermostat as referred to require very slow filling of the system with liquid or otherwise air will become trapped in the upper portion of the water jacket or between the latter and the upper chamber 2 of the radiator so that if unnoticed will bring about overheating of the engine for lack of liquid. To prevent the formation of air chambers in the cooling system as above stated and to permit the radiator to be rapidly filled with liquid my invention is adapted to the radiator and consists of a filling spout or neck 8 extending into the chamber 2 by being attached to a wall of said chamber. The filling neck is normally closed by a removable cap or cover 9. The filling neck is integral with a pipe or tube It) extending downwardly into communicationwithv the lower chamber 3 so that when the liquid is poured into the neck it will be discharged into the lower chamber 3 and when filling the radiator and the cooling jacket of the engine the liquid rises until the jacket is filled and the chamber 2, the latter receiving the liquid from the cooling jacket by way of the pipe 6. The radiator and cooling jacket filled in this manner will be free of air pockets. In order that a small amount of liquid may pass directly into the upper chamber 2 small ports II are provided in the filling neck. However, the amount of liquid admitted directly to the chamber 2 will not be sufficient that it can not be taken care of by the tubes of the radiator in passing in the direction of the lower chamber 3. Consequently, this liquid will not enter the pipe 6 and contact the thermostat which if engaged by said liquid would assume a closed position and trap air in the upper part of the cooling jacket and consequently prevent complete filling of the latter with the liquid.

What is claimed is:

l. The combination. of a radiator fashioned with upper and lower Water chambers, cooling tubes connecting said chambers together, said upper and lower chambers having return and discharge pipes respectively, said return pipe adapted for connection with a return line having a thermostat therein for controlling the flow of water therethrough from the water jacket of an engine, said discharge pipe adapted for connection with a feed line to said jacket; and a quick filling device for filling said tubes and comprising a filling neck extending through said upper chamber and communicating with said lower chamber, said neck fashioned with outlet ports within said upper chamber to permit a filling of said tubes from said upper chamber coincident with the filling of said tubes from said lower chamber, said ports of a size relative to said tubes to preclude water discharging therethrough from flooding said upper chamber and consequent overflowing into said return line in advance of the filling of said tubes whereby to prevent actuation of said thermostat to closed position before water from said lower chamber influences such actuation thereby eliminating the formation of air pockets in said jacket and return line.

2. The combination of a radiator fashioned with said lower chamber to permit a filling of said tubes from said lower chamber to preclude water from flooding said upper chamber and overflowing into said return line in advance of the filling of said tubes whereby to prevent actuation of said thermostat toclosed position before water from said lower chamber influences such actuation thereby eliminating the formation of air pockets in said jacket and return line.

ERIC H. EN GELHARDT. 

